A Day in the Life of a Sundae Inn Guest
by Tozz
Summary: To become a world famous dancer, Selena runs away from her home on Toucan Island. But being independent isn't as glamorous as she thought it would be-especially since it makes her poor and homeless. That is, until she meets a certain enigmatic chef...
1. Chapter 1

Yay! I'm really excited to be starting a new fic :) The title is a bit clunky, but it's what fits, in my opinion :P

It's a pairing that most people probably wouldn't think of, haha...but what can I say? I love thinking of odd pairings, and even more than that, I love being surprised by odd pairings that other people come up with. :D So um, have an open mind? Haha.

I really wanted this to be a romantic comedy...I mean, it'll be a lot lighter than anything else I've done lately, I think. But unfortunately I'm not so good at the comedy aspect DX Oh well. Please enjoy it anyway~ I'd appreciate reviews, too. ;)

x x x

**Chapter One**

_I don't need anyone! I'm living on my own! Don't look for me!_

_That's what I yelled at them this morning, but…_ Selena gritted her teeth, standing at the bottom of the ramp that led off the ferryboat and feeling very foolish.

She'd finally had enough of her boring life on Toucan Island and boldly stormed out of Pineapple Inn that morning, to the surprise and dismay of her parents. It felt great at the time to do something so rebellious, but now it was quickly catching up to her that she wasn't quite as ready as she'd thought.

For starters, she was practically penniless. Although she had gone so far as to pack her things up in a knapsack the night before in preparation, she found the ferry tickets outrageously overpriced (_One thousand gold for a trip to the mainland?! _she'd yelped when the boat captain told her the cost) and was forced to take the only trip that could fit in her budget—the voyage to Waffle Town, on an island so close that the ticket was free. It wasn't ideal, but she'd only planned on spending money on necessities.

And now, Selena realized, she was homeless. "Agh," she groaned, tugging at the loose strands of her ponytail. "What was I thinking?" No matter what, she couldn't go back home. At least not for a while. It would be mortifying after the show she put on that morning if she came slinking back with her head hanging low.

_I'm just going to have to tough it out. Remember what you're here for!_ she thought, clenching her fists and concentrating on psyching herself up. _You're going to be the best damn dancer that…that…_Waffle Town's_ ever seen!_

Sufficiently motivated, Selena took a deep breath and walked down the pier towards the town. She passed a shack with a sign that read _On The Hook_ and wrinkled her nose at the overwhelming smell of fish. It reminded her of her mom, Sue, and all times she'd come home after a long day of fishing…

_No, no!_ she reprimanded herself, shaking her head slightly. _Thinking anything or anyone from that stupid island is off limits!_

After less than five minutes of walking she came upon a hotel-and-bar. It was called Sundae Inn, according to the sign posted outside. She stood in front of the building, a few feet away from the door, deliberating. The place looked quaint and almost a little rundown, so it probably wouldn't cost that much. On the other hand, she barely had enough money as it was. She wondered if they would even take her, seeing as how she wasn't even eighteen yet. Would they try to call her parents and have her picked up? The thought alone made her shudder from humiliation. She just wouldn't tell them the truth.

"Sorry, but you're in the way, so could you move please?"

Serena jumped at the voice that suddenly came from behind her, and turned slowly around to face the person who'd spoken, raising her eyebrows. If she hadn't already heard his voice, she would've mistaken him for a girl, for his voice was just about the only masculine quality he possessed.

The sleeves of his crisp white shirt were neatly rolled up to his elbows, and he was wearing a dark green apron smeared with some kind of floury substance. His frame was quite slender overall, and his hair stuck out every direction in wild strawberry blonde curls, only tamed on one side of his head by bobby pins. What stood out to her most of all at the moment, however, were his shoes. She could see the toes of his feet (one of which was tapping impatiently as he waited for her to move) poking out from his worn sandals. The sight of the exposed skin made her shiver a little in her own skimpy outfit; despite Waffle Town's relatively close position to Toucan Island and the fact that it was already spring, the late morning breeze felt much more chilly than it did back home, especially against her bare navel.

During her silence in which she took in his feminine appearance, he paraphrased his request, this time a little more forcefully. "Move, please. You're blocking the way for customers."

_It's almost wrong to hear rude things coming from such a sweet-looking face,_ Selena thought to herself, frowning in her slight irritation. His face was rounded and his skin was smooth and fair; the only thing that offset his look of innocence were his shockingly violet eyes, which were, at that instant, focused sharply on her.

"Maybe I _am_ a customer," she huffed, flipping her auburn ponytail over her shoulder and sticking out her chest, hands resting on her curvy hips. In spite of her outward appearance she was no slut, nor had she much experience with the opposite sex, but she knew enough to use her rather well endowed body to her advantage.

He was unfazed by her attempts to sway him, however, giving her a clinical once-over before his eyes flicked back to hers. He then stepped so that he was standing very close to her and reached out to grasp the doorknob of the inn's entrance.

"In that case," he said, flashing her a maddeningly patronizing smile as he pulled the door open and held it for her, gesturing for her to go inside, "please, come in."

x x x

_That guy…_

Selena found him astoundingly annoying. He'd barely said a few sentences to her and already she disliked him. Of course, she had a tendency to not like people from the start. But who could blame her when there were people like him walking around?

She couldn't even pick out what exactly it was that got to her. His stupid smile, maybe, or the way he treated her like she was _such_ a burden, a pest. Like she was a stray dog that wouldn't stop following him, and he had to finally give up and let her trail behind him.

_I would've walked in here whether or not you said anything,_ she imagined telling him, silently fuming as they entered the Sundae Inn. _It's not like I needed your permission._

"Colleen!" he called out, shutting the door behind Selena. "There's a guest."

Selena looked in the direction he was looking to see a red-headed woman bustling over to greet them. Behind her came an older-looking man with graying hair, a short, round woman with a stern, wrinkled face, and a ridiculously adorable girl, who was clad in a frilly-looking dress and Mary Janes. She felt all squirmy as soon as they crowded around; she couldn't remember the last time she was in a room with so many people without her parents. She held her head up a little higher and put on a look of nonchalance.

"Welcome to the Sundae Inn!" the red-haired woman said cheerfully. "I'm Colleen, and this is my husband Jake, my mother Yolanda, and my daughter Maya."

Selena's eyes went from person to person as Colleen introduced them, and then looked expectantly at Chase. He smiled that stupid smile again and waved a little. "I'm Chase. I do the cooking around here. I'm Yolanda's apprentice."

"Nice to meet you," Selena said, purposefully turning away from him and focusing on Colleen. She felt awkward just saying it, so she stuck out a hand stiffly for her to shake. Colleen smiled kindly, grasping her hand and obliging her. Jake shook hers next, followed by Yolanda and then Maya. She could feel Chase's pointed stare burning holes into the side of her face but she ignored him. But he clearly wasn't interested in shaking her hand as he made no move to get close enough, which was just as well. Selena then returned her arm to her side, wondering what came next.

"So, how long do you think you'll be staying with us?" Colleen asked, titling her head to the side. "It's two hundred gold a night."

Selena's jaw dropped, but only for a moment. She quickly snapped her mouth shut and tried to rearrange her features into something less surprised. Two hundred gold probably wasn't a lot to the average person. "Um. Well. I'm not entirely sure yet. At least for a night or two…"

"I see. Where are you from?" As Colleen spoke, Selena watched Maya edge away, looking like she was trying to stand closer to Chase, who—Selena finally looked back at him—had plopped himself down at one of the tables scattered about the room and was watching her with a detached sort of interest.

"Um, Toucan Island," Selena answered nervously, praying they hadn't heard of it.

"Oh, I've heard of that," Jake commented. "It's supposed to be a good vacation spot, right?"

_Crap crap crap,_ Selena thought. "I guess. I worked at the inn there." _Oh no. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Maybe they know my parents—_

"What brings you here?" Colleen inquired, looking at her with an innocent sort of curiosity. Nevertheless, the question made Selena uneasy.

"I'm going to be a dancer," she blurted, earning blank stares from everyone in the room. She could feel herself blush but could feel a bit of pride coming on. "It's…it's a dream of mine. I wanted to go to the mainland, but I'm kind of strapped for cash right now, so I came here instead." She watched their faces carefully. They seemed to finally taking in her appearance—everyone but Chase, that is. His mouth twitched, like he was suppressing a laugh, but his face remained passive otherwise. It made her blush deepen and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"A…dancer?" Colleen echoed, looking perplexed. Jake, Yolanda, and Maya wore similar faces of disbelief.

_They're not taking you seriously. It's just like Mom and Dad,_ Selena thought bitterly. "Maybe it's better if I go," she said coldly, her frustration seeping into her voice. "I'll find somewhere else to stay." It was quite bold of her, even if they might not have realized it—she had nowhere else to go. But at the moment she was more concerned with her dignity than being levelheaded.

To her surprise, Colleen stopped her. "No, no, please wait! I'm sorry if I offended you. I was just a little surprised. It's a…strange occupation, something I've never heard of. But we would love to have you. Money isn't a problem; you can help out in the kitchen to earn your way here! So please, stay. You're very welcome here."

Selena stared at her, feeling her anger subside, replaced with an almost comforting feeling. Colleen seemed so sincere and motherly…

_Off limits, off limits,_ she reminded herself. _Absolutely no homesickness allowed, whatsoever!_

She opened her mouth to respond, until she remembered what _he_ had said. _I'm Yolanda's apprentice. I do the cooking around here._

Meaning he helped out in the kitchen, too. Meaning they'd be working together.

_He's not worth throwing away your only place to stay,_ Selena told herself firmly. _You have to take this offer. You have to. _She bit her lip, deliberating for a few more minutes before finally giving in. "…All right. Thank you very much." She bowed her head slightly, hoping to convey her gratitude.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Chase, could you take her bag upstairs? And Maya, could you get the room ready?"

"Yes, Mom!" Maya said with a little salute, grinning and scurrying off up the stairs. Chase stood up and walked over to Selena, offering his hand to take her bag.

"Your things, milady," he quipped, smiling at her. She glared at him and slowly, reluctantly slid her knapsack off her shoulders. She handed it over and he took it without another word, nodding his head a little.

But then, just as he walked away, she swore she heard him mutter loud enough for only her to hear, "I suppose you can _dance_ for your meals, then, eh?"

Her fists clenched and her toes curled.

_That guy…_

She hated him, she decided. Definitely hated him.

x x x


	2. Chapter 2

Agh, sorry for the delay DX For those of you who don't know, things have been a little hectic for me since I went on vacation for two weeks and was unable to update during that time. And then I had to update my other fics, soo... :P But here it is! Sorry for the wait.

Err...I don't have much to say about this chapter. XD; But I hope you like it ^^ I'm pretty happy with it...but I'm more excited about what'll be happening after this.

Reviews are always welcomed and very much appreciated :D

x x x

**Chapter Two**

Maya showed Selena to her room when she was finished preparing it. She opened the door and stood to the side so Selena could go in.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask any of us!" she chirped, giving a dainty curtsey. "We'll be happy to help."

"Um, thanks," Selena said, stepping into the threshold of her new living space. It was definitely modest, but it wasn't like she could afford any better. She glanced at the small bed and saw her knapsack sitting right in the middle of it. "I think I'm fine for now."

Maya seemed to wilt slightly under her indifference, and Selena wondered if she was being too blunt. Having basically only dealt with her parents, she had little experience with anyone else in a social setting. It was all she knew.

"No problem," Maya replied, bowing her head before shuffling out of the room, her Mary Janes dragging a little on the wooden floor.

Selena let out a sigh as soon as the girl was gone, puffing out her cheeks as the air escaped her lips. "Jeez," she grumbled, opening her knapsack and rummaging through her few belongings. She was annoyed with herself for being guilty over hurting Maya's feelings, but Maya just had this quality that made you want to keep a smile on her face, to tousle her hair and tell her everything was going to be okay. Simply put, she was adorable in that little kid sort of way, and Selena found it irritating. She liked to think she didn't have to care about anyone else but herself. That was the point of being independent, right?

"Sooo, you wanna be a dancer, huh?"

Selena jumped at the voice that broke into her thoughts. She turned her head to look over her shoulder, and saw Chase leaning on the frame of her doorway.

_Yuck._

"Sorry, didn't mean to _scare_ you," he said, smirking.

"You didn't," Selena answered hastily, recovering quickly and holding her head high. "And yes. My goal is to become a dancer."

"That's nice," he said dismissively, seeming disinterested. _Why ask in the first place, then?! _Selena thought, scowling. "Anyway," Chase continued, ignoring her glare, "we're about to start serving lunch, if you'd like to help out."

_Like I have a choice,_ she thought glumly. _But I do have to earn my way here._ "All right. Show me the way to the kitchen, then."

x x x

Chase led Selena downstairs and through a swinging door. When she stepped into the room, the first thing she noticed was that the kitchen was surprisingly small. It was no more than a long rectangular box with a counter lining one of the walls and a large refrigerator stuffed into a corner of the room.

The pink-haired woman who Selena recognized as Yolanda was standing in the middle of the kitchen, apparently waiting for them. She clapped her hands together, preparing to say something, though Selena found it hard to take her seriously with her graying cotton candy hair woven into two girlish braids.

"Alright. I entrust Chase to help you settle in, but I can tell you the basics. That is the refrigerator; it has all the ingredients we need for the meals we prepare. This is the sink; I expect everyone to keep a sanitary work environment. This is the stove and oven; Chase will most likely be the only one using it, but nevertheless, be careful." She thrust out a finger, pointing to each one of the objects she named, like Selena was an alien from another planet and needed to be told what each thing was.

"Thanks," Selena said dryly, crossing her arms. Yolanda didn't seem to notice her sarcasm.

"That would be about it, then. At the moment, the both of you are on dishes. We don't have much of a lunch crowd. But make sure you're getting your work done." She clapped Chase on the back as she shuffled past him and Selena through the swinging door.

"So, how old are you?" Chase asked casually once we were alone, strolling over to the big pile of dishes in the sink and flicking the water faucet on.

"Nineteen," Selena answered immediately. She had already rehearsed this lie in her mind, just in case anyone asked her. In actuality, she was only seventeen, and although her eighteenth birthday would be coming up in a couple months, she didn't want anyone to know she was underage and send her home. She moved over to join him.

"What year were you born?"

She swallowed, hesitating for too long. "Um—"

Chase smirked, pushing up one sleeve that had started to slip down his arm before picking up the soap. "That's what I thought. Now, how old are you _really_?"

Selena's face burned as he gave her a condescendingly patient look, that smug smile still spread across his face. She stayed quiet long enough for him to wash a cup and then pass it to her to dry, and she contemplated ignoring him. But then she finally muttered, "Seventeen."

"Well, at least you're old enough to be working legally, I guess," he mused, scrubbing away at a plate. "But what are you doing away from home?"

"None of your business," she snapped, squeezing the rag she was holding.

Chase didn't look offended. Instead, she could see the smile only widened.

For the next few minutes, they washed dishes in silence. It was almost relaxing, in a way—she and Chase had a rhythm going, and it was easy to slip into a lulling concentration. Though she despised the fact she had to cooperate with him at all.

"Would you like to know how old I am?" he finally asked, when they were almost finished with the dishes. Selena decided not to answer him and kept her eyes on the stack of clean, dry dishes in front of her, hating the fact that she was at least a little curious.

He paused for a moment, obviously waiting for a response, and when he didn't get one, he continued, the amusement evident in his voice.

"I'm nineteen."

x x x

Once they were done, Chase dried off his hands with a towel and then held up one hand, as if inviting a high-five.

"Thanks a lot, partner," he said, grinning wryly. Selena tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked right past his waiting hand, heading for the door. Before she reached it, however, it swung open, knocking her right in the middle of her nose.

"Ouch!" Selena yelped, cupping a hand over her injury. Nothing was broken, but it still felt like she'd been punched in the face. She hoped her nose wouldn't start bleeding.

"What was—oh my gosh!" It was Maya, and when she saw Selena she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Did I do that?"

"Are you okay? Let me see," Chase said, resting a hand on Selena's shoulder and sounding oddly concerned and even gentle.

"I'm fine," Selena said through her teeth, her voice coming out nasally because she was pinching her nose. "It's just a bump."

"Just let me see it," he insisted, his hand still on her shoulder.

She rolled her eyes and dropped her hand, acting like it really was _just a bump_, though it still hurt like hell.

He leaned in closer to her, those intense purple eyes of his directed intently on her face. Selena automatically pulled back a little and turned her head slightly to the side, feeling uncomfortable. He straightened back up, looking satisfied.

"You'll be fine."

"I could've told you that," she grumbled under her breath. "I _did_, in fact." Then she remembered Maya and glanced over at the girl, who was looking between the two of them with a curious expression on her face that quickly gave way to dismay when she met Selena's gaze.

"I'm really, really sorry about that. I didn't realize anyone was going to be standing right behind the door, I just wasn't thinking."

"It's okay," Selena said stiffly. She really wasn't angry with Maya, but rather she still felt unsettled by the intensity of Chase's stare, though it was no longer trained on her. "Um, so, I'm going back to my room now, if I'm not needed here…?"

"Oh, no, stick around and help me something food for lunch," Chase said, and Selena's shoulders visibly drooped. He smirked at her disappointed demeanor. "What? You are planning on earning your way here, aren't you?"

Selena grumbled, but didn't protest—after all, he had a point. She hated that.

"Oooh, you're making something for lunch, Chase? I thought so!" Maya broke in excitedly. She turned to Selena, beaming. "He's just the best cook, you know."

"Oh, Maya, I should've known. That's the only reason why you're ever happy to see me, because I'm cooking something," Chase said, shaking his head. Selena thought she detected a trace of bitterness—though he didn't seem capable of such emotions, at least in her experience. Or rather, he appeared bitter in the cynical way, not in the emotionally traumatized way. And yet, he seemed so aloof, like he wouldn't care enough to be that cynical to begin with. And then sometimes he acted like he was teasing her…

Trying to figure him out made her head hurt, so she pretended like she hadn't noticed anything at all.

"That's not true!" Maya huffed in reply, stomping her foot. "I'm always happy to see you!"

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, waving a hand dismissively at her. "Do you think you could leave us alone? We have to get started."

"But Chase—"

He silenced her with another one of his imposing stares, and she pouted and then turned away, dragging her feet as the door swung shut behind her.

_That was a little harsh,_ Selena thought, though she hardly cared to say it out loud. She wasn't about to tangle herself in any of these people's problems if she could avoid it.

As if Chase could read her mind, he muttered to her, "Oh, she'll be back just as soon as the food's on the table."

Something again flickered across his face and she was unable to notice it this time. Perhaps he felt guilty for being mean to Maya?

Then again, "guilt" didn't seem like one of the emotions he was programmed to feel. Selena sighed.

_I give up._

x x x

Maya hadn't been exaggerating. Maybe it was too soon to say if he was the _best_ cook, but Chase was definitely very, _very_ good at what he did.

Of course, she had very little experience in the subject, so she didn't have much else to compare him against. Cooking was something she'd almost always left up to her parents and rarely did herself. About the only thing she could do was grill fish over a fire, and she hated the taste of grilled fish, anyway.

Chase had implied that they both would be doing the cooking, but Selena mostly stayed on the sidelines and watched, only moving when he directed her. But watching was good enough for her; she saw enough to know it would taste delicious, even though she had no clue what it was.

It was almost exciting as a spectator, to be able watch the way he moved so quickly around the small kitchen and yet never spilled anything or knocked anything over. He chopped rapidly, faster than anyone Selena had ever seen, and it gave her butterflies to watch—she was certain he would lose a finger. But in his speed he was also efficient and neat and confident. She could easily tell how much he loved what he was doing.

In a way, it made him look sort of…manly. Not in a macho way—it was kind of hard for Selena to describe. But it made her hate him a little less.

"So…what are those?" Selena asked when he finished cooking and began moving the food he'd prepared onto a platter; it looked like a bunch of little breaded cakes, still steaming.

"You've never heard of croquettes?" he asked, so incredulously that she forgot about hating him less.

"No, I haven't," she responded flatly, trying not to feel stupid. How was she supposed to know when she'd never even _seen_ them before?

But suddenly he nodded in realization. "Oh, but you're from Toucan Island, right? Guess you wouldn't have stuff like this there."

"Guess not," she answered, crossing her arms, and then there was an awkward silence. Or it felt awkward to Selena, at least.

Then Chase grinned at her and lifted the platter effortlessly with one hand, though it looked kind of heavy. "Let's go serve these, then. Grab some of those clean plates, will you?"

x x x

Colleen, Jake, Yolanda, and Maya were already sitting at one of the tables, looking like they were waiting for the food. Apparently there were no other customers.

Yolanda did say there wasn't a lunch crowd, Selena remembered, trailing behind Chase with the plates while he carried the platter.

"What did you make today?" Yolanda asked as they approached the table.

Chase switched the platter to his other hand before he answered. "Croquettes. Like we practiced last week. Potatoes, carrots, onions…" He started listing off vegetables, all of which Selena had seen him cut up and use for the filling of the croquettes.

She passed out a plate to everyone (fortunately she'd grabbed just the right amount) and then stood there, feeling like she was hovering uselessly, until Maya pulled out the chair next to her and said, "Come sit next to me, Selena! I can't wait to try these! They're one of my favorites of all the things Chase makes."

Selena found this curious; did Chase make them knowing Maya loved them? Was he trying to make it up to her…?

Then she remembered she'd given up all analysis of Chase's psyche and sat down next to Maya without a word.

Food was passed around, and someone went and got glasses and juice. Everyone thanked Chase before they dug in. Even Selena brought herself to mutter a "thank you" to the chef before taking a tentative nibble on her croquette.

She couldn't deny it. It was mouth-wateringly delectable.

And yet…

There was something wrong with it.

Well, not _wrong_, exactly—it was like her taste buds and stomach were very aware of just how tasty it was, and yet her brain wasn't satisfied.

If she was going to be honest with herself, she might've been feeling just a little homesick. Possibly. It just wasn't the same as eating the dishes her parents cooked up—those were spicy and zesty and unpredictable. Croquettes were good, but they weren't the same as fish and rice and pineapples all tossed together in a crazy mishmash. There was something calculated about their taste. It was nothing like the cuisine on Toucan Island.

So, yes, she would admit it: she was _just a little_ homesick. Maybe a little more than that, even.

But then she felt a familiar pair of eyes boring into her, and looked up to see Chase watching her eat from across the table.

"What do you think?" he asked her, sounding almost anxious. "Do you like it?"

"Um, y-yeah. It's great," she said, trying to mean it. "Thanks."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it," he answered, but she couldn't tell if she'd been convincing enough. Even though she hated him and all, she wasn't trying to be _offensive_.

Selena ate in silence for the rest of the meal, listening to the sound of their voices and laughter. They tried to include her, but it still left her feeling like maybe she didn't quite fit in with the people of Waffle Town.

And maybe she wasn't meant to after all.

x x x


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the third chapter! It was originally going to be longer, but I kind of lost interest in this fic overall XD; I still have tons planned for it and we haven't quite gotten there yet, but I don't think this has many followers, so I'm gonna put this on a temporary hiatus. I need to focus on my other fics that people are waiting on, haha. Of course, though I do write for myself always, I enjoy having other people read what I write. So, I'll write for this fic when I feel like it, but it's not really a priority any longer. I've outlined chapter four, so I'll start that whenever.

And err, sorry if there was anyone who really liked this fic DX It's not dead or anything, promise.

Reviews are appreciated, as always 3

x x x

**Chapter Three**

Selena helped clean up after lunch and after she'd finished helping in the kitchen she went straight up to her room, lying on the bed until dinnertime, when she reemerged to go downstairs to help prepare it.

Dinner was basically a repeat of lunch—great food that didn't quite taste right, and friendly conversation that didn't quite feel right. Kathy and her father Hayden joined them; Hayden was in charge of the bar which was open at night, and Kathy worked as a waitress.

Sometimes while they were eating she thought she felt Chase watching her, but every time she looked up at him his violet eyes were focused on something else.

It was a little unnerving.

When she finally climbed into her bed to go to sleep, she found herself wide awake. She felt so restless and unfulfilled. Things weren't turning out the way she'd planned at all.

_Right now I'm supposed to be dancing in front of a big audience,_ she thought sullenly. _I'm supposed to be performing for a huge crowd who have all heard my name before and have traveled to see me. I'm supposed to be rich and famous as a legendary dancer, not stuck earning my way at a cheesy cutesy hotel as a sidekick to the chef._

For a moment, she considered just packing her meager possessions up and heading back to Toucan Island, but immediately banished the thought as soon as it came to her. She wasn't a quitter. And even if Waffle Town wasn't the kind of audience she'd imagined or expected, she was going to do everything it took to get recognized.

_You just have to give yourself a chance,_ she told herself. _They haven't even seen you dance yet. Once they do, they'll be blown away._

But the pep talk just didn't work as well as it normally did. She couldn't feel certain of anything when she didn't even know what the next day held.

Selena sighed and flipped her pillow over, trying to get comfortable. She figured it'd be best to start with a good night's sleep.

x x x

Selena awoke to a dull but firm rapping sound. _Thump thump thump._

Someone was knocking on her door. But it was far too early in the morning.

She let out a frustrated groan and pressed her pillow over her ears, turning over onto her stomach. Mercifully, the noise stopped a few moments later.

"Selena?" The voice was muffled, but unmistakably belonged to Maya.

Selena moaned again, but this time relented. She tossed her pillow away from her and it landed on the floor a foot away from her bed.

She stumbled over to the door, her feet dragging against the cool hardwood floor. Opening the door a crack, she poked her head out. "What?" she asked, her tone strained and sleepy.

Maya was already fully dressed, Selena noticed, and in one hand she held a feather duster and the other a mop, which she held out to Selena. At their feet sat a bucket of soapy water.

"Morning!" she said cheerfully in response. "It's time to start cleaning!" She apparently took no notice of Selena's pajamas or disheveled hair.

"What is that?" Selena asked grouchily, eyeing the mop. She wasn't quite up to doing chores just yet.

Maya's brow furrowed slightly as she considered Selena's question. "Well, um, it's a mop?" she said, with no hint of irony or sarcasm. "I just thought you'd know…but, I mean, if you need me to show you—"

"I know what it is," Selena snapped. "I meant…I don't know, aren't I supposed to be working in the kitchen or something? Not cleaning?"

"Not today! My parents want you to help me clean today!" Suddenly she affected a stiff pose, straightening her shoulders. "'Keeping the inn clean is my top priority. I want a clean place for guests to relax.'"

Selena immediately recognized Maya's impersonation of Jake, her father. _But if that's true, aren't I supposed to be relaxing?_ she thought sulkily. She sighed. "Um…all right. Could you give me a minute to get ready?"

"Sure! I'll just leave the mop with you. I'll be downstairs dusting." She waved the feather duster and then skipped off. Selena slumped against her doorframe for a few moments, trying to wake herself. She lifted her head and tried to run a hand through the ginger snarls with little success.

_Ugh. _

_Time to get dressed and face the day._

x x x

Helping Maya wasn't so bad—probably because she didn't have much time to think about it. There was laundry to do, beds to make, floors to mop, and hours passed in the blink of an eye. They took a break for lunch, again prepared by Chase, this time under Yolanda's guidance. It was weird to see him have to answer to an authority figure, and also mildly satisfying.

"What's his story?" Selena finally got up the nerve to ask when it was just her and Maya. They were teaming up to put freshly cleaned coverings on a bare mattress.

"You mean Chase?"

"Yeah."

The girl paused, suddenly looking flushed. It was then Selena knew it for sure, as if she didn't before: Maya had a _huge_ crush on the cook. She almost felt bad for her; it must suck a ton to be after such a difficult person.

"Well, he's studying with Yolanda, to become a better cook…"

"Yeah, but why? He seems good at it already."

Maya laughed a little. "There's always room for improvement. Or at least, that's what he tells me. But he is pretty wonderful, huh?"

_Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far, _she thought. Wonderful wasn't what came to mind when she thought of him.

"A-a-anyway," Maya said quickly, as if she'd caught herself at something embarrassing. "He's had a lot of time to practice. Did you know he's an orphan?"

Selena shook her head. _How would I?_

"Yeah. He lost his parents when he was young, so he kind of just got good at taking care of himself. He doesn't rely on people, doesn't like to accept help, doesn't like to admit he's wrong…" She trailed off, lost in thought.

_Sheesh. Sounds like a neurotic, stubborn nut job._

"…He's really great. I admire him," Maya finally finished. Selena stared. "I'm really bad at cooking and he gives me a hard time, but he also gives me something to strive for. I'd like to be as competent as him someday."

_And this one sounds like a needy, insecure nut job. _She knew they were mean thoughts, but she couldn't help herself. It was rare for her to meet so many people at once, and she'd never quite realized how screwed up the majority of the population was. In Waffle Town, anyway. At least Maya's parents Colleen and Jake seemed normal enough. She wasn't quite sure about Yolanda yet.

Still, it was an interesting development, knowing he was an orphan. She felt like it explained a lot and yet nothing at all. If anything, he suddenly seemed a hundred times further away.

Not that at mattered. After all, they'd only be working together in the kitchen, and nothing more.

x x x


End file.
